Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, had a rude awakening when in 1888 a French newspaper, printed his obituary. Thinking that Alfred had died, instead of his brother, the premature obituary was headed, ‘The Merchant of Death is Dead’ (Le marchand de la mort est mort").Alfred Nobel was shocked, not only to read his own obituary but to learn that he would be remembered in such a negative and destructive way.
So in his will he ordered that his considerable estate be invested and that the interest be awarded each year as prizes “to those persons who during the previous year have rendered the greatest services to mankind.”
Alfred Nobel succeeded in transforming his image and his legacy.
How are you going to be remembered and what will be the legacy that you leave behind?
Dr Geoff Pound
Image: Alfred Nobel.
